Safety razor combination

ABSTRACT

A safety razor combination embodying a handle and a cartridge adapted to be removably and replaceably mounted therein through the medium of a dovetail connection which includes a key part in the handle and a complemental slot in the cartridge extending in the direction of the longer dimension of the cartridge, the key having depressions in its upper face adapted to receive detent elements mounted on a flexible bar in the cartridge, the detent elements comprising lugs of different lengths projecting into the slot and serving in their combined functioning to aid in guiding the key into the slot and releasably holding the cartridge in its home position on the handle.

United States Patent [191 Iten [451 Oct. 7, 1975 [73] Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated, New

York, NY.

22 Filed: Aug. 22, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 390,554

Primary Examiner-Al Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-Gary L. Smith Attorney, Agent, or FirmWatson Leavenworth Kelton & Taggart [5 7] ABSTRACT A safety razor combination embodying a handle and a cartridge adapted to be removably and replaceably mounted therein through the medium of a dovetail connection which includes a key part in the handle and a complemental slot in the cartridge extending in the direction of the longer dimension of the cartridge, the key having depressions in its upper face adapted to receive detent elements mounted on a flexible bar in the cartridge, the detent elements comprising lugs of different lengths projecting into the slot and serving in their combined functioning to aid in guiding the key into the slot and releasably holding the cartridge in its home position on the handle.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 2 of 3 3,909,940

4 1 'lil Q US. Patent 0a. 7,1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,909,940

SAFETY RAZOR COMBINATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention concerns a safety razor combination embodying a razor head cartridge detachably mounted on a handle for replacement through the means of a dovetail connection comprising a slot in the cartridge part and a complemental key in the handle part adapted to engage in the cartridge slot.

Dovetail connections in general between a handle and a razor head cartridge are known in the prior art, an early patent in this respect being OReilly US. Pat. No. 1,195,259. More recent patents showing that fea ture are Perry US. Pat. No. 3,703,764 and Dorion, Jr. US. Pat. No. 3,724,070.

THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention is a modification of the cartridge and handle arrangement disclosed in a pending application of Braginetz, Ser. No. 313,742, filed Dec.

11, 1972, embodying a dovetail connection in which the key part in the handle has a plurality of depressions and the cartridge head embodies a flexible bar having inverted generally U-shaped detent elements adapted to engage in the depressions of the handle key to releasably hold the cartridge in place.

The present invention comprises an arrangement adapted to facilitate the assembly of a cartridge to the handle key part. It is especially adapted for assembling a dummy or blank cartridge to the handle at the manufacturing plant. Razor sets of this character are sold with a dummy or blank cartridge assembled to the handle, the cartridge having omitted therefrom the cutting blades per se as a safety measure to avoid the purchaser in his initial handling of the set being cut by blades in the cartridge and also to ensure that the razor set is not sold with a live cartridge in which the blade edges could be damaged before initial use by the purchaser.

The razor sets are normally accompanied by a maga zine containing a stack of live cartridges and the arrangement of the present invention is also useful in facilitating the change of cartridges by the purchaser in ensuring that the key is readily insertable into the slot of a cartridge in the magazine without substantial interference or tendency of the key to be hung-up on the detent means or other structural elements of the cartridge razor head. The principal feature of the arrangement comprises a series of lugs mounted on a flexible bar arranged to project into the slot, the lugs including a main lug serving the function of engagement in the depression in the face of the key to releasably secure the cartridge in its appropriate position, and auxiliary lugs projecting a lesser distance into the slot to guide the key in its entrance and avoid interference between the end of the advancing key and structure within the slot.

Details of the particular lug arrangement and the advantages will be made more apparent from a consideration of representative embodiments described hereinafter and depicted in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a cartridge embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the cartridge looking upwardly;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane III- -III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view in cross-section through the longitudinal center of the cartridge together with a razor handle head portion illustrating a problem to which the invention is directed;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating a further problem to which the invention is directed;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the plane VI--VI of FIG. 1 and including the head portion of the razor handle; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6 but illustrating the principles of the invention embodied in a live cartridge.

An exemplification of the invention is shown first in FIGS. 1 to 6. It embodies a cartridge and razor handle generally similar to that of the aforementioned application of Braginetz Ser. No. 313,742 except in this case the cartridge is a blank cartridge, that is it does not contain any blades and is correspondingly modified in some details, it being a type of cartridge which commonly is assembled on a razor handle as initially sold. The cartridge is preferably composed of a suitable plastic material such as a medium impact styrene.

The cartridge 10 has a shape in cross-section indicated generally in FIG. 3 with integral sloping side portions 11, end walls 12 and 13 and a middle transverse partition 14. Integrally cast with the end walls 12 and 13 and mid-partition 14 is a top longitudinal bar 18 supported from the end walls and middle crosspartition 14 and separated from the side portions 11 of the cap by the slots 20, 21, 22 and 23.

Cast integrally with and projecting downwardly from the bar 18 are a series of lugs. As indicated in FIG. 6 beginning at the left end there are successively three lugs 26, 27 and 28. A series of like lugs 26, 27 and 28 are provided beginning successively from the right end. The length of the lugs will depend on the particular circumstances and related structural features but in general the lugs 27 are the longest; the lugs 26 are next in order in length; and the lugs 28 are the shortest.

The cartridge is adapted to have a dovetail connection with a handle which includes the key 32 on the handle adapted to be inserted longitudinally into a complemental slot 33 in the cartridge as indicated particularly in FIG. 3. The key has three depressions 35, 36 and 37 in its upper face. The depressions 35 and 37 in particular being adapted to receive the respective lugs 27 to maintain releasably the cartridge on the handle.

FIG. 4 illustrates the function of the lugs 26. Assuming the razor handle key 32 is being inserted into the left end of the cartridge there would be a definite tendency of the right end 40 of the key to engage against the lug 27 and cause a hang-up or obstruction to the progress of the key into the cartridge. In FIG. 4 the lug 26 is shown in broken lines but assuming it is present as shown in FIG. 6, the right end of the key would beengaged under the lower end of lug 26 camming it and the lug 27 upwardly due to the flexibility of the bar 18, and the key guided into the slot. Preferably the key 32 has a top inclined surface 41 to facilitate the entrance of the key.

FIG. 5 shows a further possible hang-up or obstruction to the entrance of the key remedied by the present construction. In this case there would be a tendency for the inner end 40 of the key to engage against the cross-partition 14. Lug 28 is shown in broken lines I but assuming its presence as in FIG. 6, the lug 28 would serve to urge the inner end of the key downwardly so as to clear the intermediate partition 14. The lug 28 and bar 18 would tend to be flexed upwardly but since the lug 28 is fairly close to the rigid connection of bar 18 to the crosspartition 14, the inner end of the key 32 would be urged downwardly a sufficient amount to clear the partition.

The final position of the key is shown in FIG. 6 and as there indicated the lug 26 may project into the notch 35 and aid in establishing and maintaining the proper relative positions of the razor handle key 32 and the cartridge 10. A similar relation exists at the right end of the key and cartridge.

As heretofore mentioned the dimensions of such elements as the depth of the depressions in the upper face of the key 32 and the differences in the lengths of the lugs in the bar 18 will vary dependent upon the circumstances but having in mind the normal small size of the razor parts concerned it will be apparent that the depressions and the differences between the lengths of the lugs will in general be only a few thousandths of an inch.

FIG. 7 shows the principles of the invention embodied in a live cartridge such as that more fully disclosed in the aforesaid application of Braginetz Ser. No. 313,742.

In this case the cap portion 50 is cast independently of the base portion 51 and there are mounted between them a pair of blades at each side with a spacer 52 intervening between the upper and lower blades. The bar 18a is cast integrally with the base portion 51 being connected to the end walls thereof at 53 and 54 and also having an intermediate rigid cross wall connection 55. The lugs 26a, 27a and 28a correspond to the lugs 26, 27 and 28 respectively of the form of FIGS. 1 to 6 and the functioning is substantially the same.

Since various changes may be made in the structural details and relations of the parts shown and described herein and accordingly further embodiments of the invention be made within the principles thereof, it is intended that all matter contained herein shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a safety razor combination, a razor head cartridge part and a handle part adapted to be detachably connected thereto, the connection between the parts comprising a dovetail arrangement with an elongated key on the handle part and a complental elongated dovetail slot in the other part, said key having a generally flat head with a depression in the surface and said cartridge including a flexible detent bar exposed at said slot opposite said key with a projecting main lug engageable in said depression and an outer auxiliary lug arranged between said main lug and the entrance into said slot effective to guide the key past said main lug.

2. A razor combination in accordance with claim 1 in which the forward end of the key has a top surface outwardly of the depression inclined outwardly and downwardly to facilitate the key entrance past the said auxiliary and main lugs.

3. A razor combination in accordance with claim 1 in which said key depression slopes upwardly in both longitudinal directions from the maximum depth.

4. In a safety razor combination, a razor head cartridge part and a handle part adapted to be detachably connected thereto, the connection between the parts comprising a dovetail arrangement with an elongated key on the handle part and a complemental elongated dovetail slot in the other part, said key having a generally flat head with a depression in the surface and said cartridge including a flexible detent bar exposed at said slot opposite said key, said bar having a rigid support at each end and at an intermediate point, and said bar having a main lug between said intermediate support and an end support and an inner auxiliary lug each projecting into said slot positioned inwardly of said main lug for guiding the key past said intermediate support.

5. A razor combination as in claim 4 in which the forward end of said key has a top surface outwardly of the depression inclined outwardly and downwardly. 

1. In a safety razor combination, a razor head cartridge part and a handle part adapted to be detachably connected thereto, the connection between the parts comprising a dovetail arrangement with an elongated key on the handle part and a complental elongated dovetail slot in the other part, said key having a generally flat head with a depression in the surface and said cartridge including a flexible detent bar exposed at said slot opposite said key with a projecting main lug engageable in said depression and an outer auxiliary lug arranged between said main lug and the entrance into said slot effective to guide the key past said main lug.
 2. A razor combination in accordance with claim 1 in which the forward end of the key has a top surface outwardly of the depression inclined outwardly and downwardly to facilitate the key entrance past the said auxiliary and main lugs.
 3. A razor combination in accordance with claim 1 in which said key depression slopes upwardly in both longitudinal directions from the maximum depth.
 4. In a safety razor combination, a razor head cartridge part and a handle part adapted to be detachably connected thereto, the connection between the parts comprising a dovetail arrangement with an elongated key on the handle part and a complemental elongated dovetail slot in the other part, said key having a generally flat head with a depression in the surface and said cartridge including a flexible detent bar exposed at said slot opposite said key, said bar having a rigid support at each end and at an intermediate point, and said bar having a main lug between said intermediate support and an end support and an inner auxiliary lug each projecting into said slot positioned inwardly of said main lug for guiding the key past said intermediate support.
 5. A razor combination as in claim 4 in which the forward end of said key has a top surface outwardly of the depression inclined outwardly and downwardly. 